GAME DAY #13: Jets @ Sens - 7:30pm EST - Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

The Sens played one of their best games (according to Goodie Wilson) Tuesday night as they presented the Montreal Canadiens and their faithful a well-deserved first loss of the season. Anderson had a great game, as did rookie Coondon at the other end of the ice. The game was decided on a pretty passing play from Hoffman to Turris in 3x3 OT (with Karlsson as the decoy). That was the fifth OT game of the young season for the Senators, and it was the first one that did not go to a shootout. Wonder if Erik still feels the same way about 3x3 OT? The win propelled the Sens from being 1 point out of a wildcard spot back to 2nd place in the Atlantic.

The Jets are off to a great start with an 8-4-1 record and 3rd place in the very competitive Central. Last night they won in somewhat dramatic fashion over the hapless Leafs, scoring the winning goal with a little over a minute left in the game (and then adding a short-handed, empty-netter to seal the win). Byfuglien scored the Jets' first goal and will be in the lineup tonight, while Mark Stone sits out the second game of his suspension. The DOPS rulings simply make no sense other than this: if the guy doesn't go down, there won't be a suspension. Except that Couturier went down pretty hard and Rinaldo still didn't get suspended. Makes no sense. Yes, I know that this has been discussed ad nauseum, but Stone's chicken-wing elbow only went up after he skated past Ferraro, and it looked more like a player trying to maintain balance than an actual attempt to hit; meanwhile Big Buff kept his elbow nicely tucked up to the point where he drove it up into Gallagher's chin, sending the Smurf cartwheeling in a Saturday morning cartoon fashion. Do you get it? I know I don't.

Anyhow, with the game last night and then the bus ride to Ottawa, the Jets should be easy pickings for the fairly well-rested Senators, even without their leading scorer. Time for Karlsson to get back on that Norris train. Time for Bobby to get back on another scoring streak (and to drag Zibanejad into playing shape). Time for the Sens to start putting together some home wins, for a change.

GO SENS GO!!!!

I'm not going to read all that, but I assume the lines will be the same, and that will start.

Preview:
http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2015020188

According to the above, no changes to the lineup and Anderson will start. Hutchison likely starter for the Jets (Pavelec played last night).

Turris has scored a goal in each of his last four games.

In that preview link they compare the team stats:

Team Stats

                 GP Record Home  Road  L10   G/GP GA/GP PP%  PK%  PIM/GP S/GP SA/GP FO%

Winnipeg Jets    13 8-4-1  3-2-1 5-2-0 6-3-1 3.08 2.69  21.6 83.7 9.6    29.2 31.5  48.6

Ottawa Senators  12 6-4-2  1-3-2 5-1-0 4-4-2 2.92 2.92  13.2 75.0 13.4   30.2 32.9  50.4

Yikes, the Sens special teams are horrible.  How are we still a playoff team?

Well, we've been a little lucky and also decent 5 on 5. Most of the game is played 5 on 5.

With Hoffman back, hopefully we can pot a power play goal or two.

Hoffman doesn't play PP1

SpezDispensed wrote:With Hoffman back, hopefully we can pot a power play goal or two.  

Ev wrote:Hoffman doesn't play PP1

Yeah, it's not like he's had a lot of success on the PP.

Our offense used to come from the  back-end.  Last year Karlsson got 30 of his 66 points on the PP.  This year he has 11 points (all assists) in 12 games, which is actually a 75 point pace (compared to 66 last year) but only 3 points on the PP (20 point pace).  It's still very early in the year so these are all small numbers and can change dramatically, of course.  Starting tonight

Confirmed by D-Cam: No changes to the Sens' lineup tonight.

We need a more convincing win. There hasn't been many this season which to me means we are scraping by. The jets are a very decent team and a convincing win(on home ice) would do wonders I would say into giving this team some confidence is sorely lacks.

Ev wrote:Hoffman doesn't play PP1

Not right now, but how long do you wait until you put all the eggs on PP1? Why they Diddle around with Chiasson in there? Let Stone stand in front of the net and have Turris and Hoffman up front with Ryan and Karlsson on the back end.

Then Zibanejad with Puempel and Pageau, Wiercioch/Ceci and Karlsson.

Done and done.

Also am I the only one that feels that maybe puempel should be the one playing the top 6 and not Prince? I mean I understand they are trying to get Prince going but puempel is the one that seems to me that is getting the better chance. Even last game he seemed to create some good chance paired on that awful 4rth Line.

Flo The Action wrote:We need a more convincing win. There hasn't been many this season which to me means we are scraping by. The jets are a very decent team and a convincing win(on home ice) would do wonders I would say into giving this team some confidence is sorely lacks.

I would play Wiercioch 40 minutes if I had to for him to put up some points and get some confidence going. Murray has given you the D to work with, so you better get them going somehow.

Wiercioch ended the season last year so well, I want to see him get some goals and get some confidence going.

Also - for the love of goodness, the wingers must get back deeper into the zone to help the Ds breakouts.

And finally...free Pageau. Put Pageau on the top line and let Lazar C the 3rd line. Pageau's too good to be Cussing around with Chiasson and Michalek - both of whom have what...4 points between them?

Flo The Action wrote:Also am I the only one that feels that maybe puempel should be the one playing the top 6 and not Prince? I mean I understand they are trying to get Prince going but puempel is the one that seems to me that is getting the better chance. Even last game he seemed to create some good chance paired on that awful 4rth Line.

I understand both sides. Cameron is trying to see what player fits with Ryan and Z, but yes, Puempel should probably get a look there once in a while. At the VERY least he should see some time with Pageau on line 3.

I don't understand Cameron's fetish for Chiasson.